War ship remains piled in city garage

In a municipal garage owned by the City of Harrisburg is a pile of lumber that is the remains of the Royal Savage, the flagship of the most-famous traitor in American history, Benedict Arnold.

The Royal Savage was sunk in battle in 1776, salvaged in 1934, and purchased in 1995 by Mayor Stephen Reed for $42,500. The ship was supposed to be displayed in the National Civil War Museum.

Reed said the Revolutionary War ship would have been part of a special exhibit.

In 2001, the city of Plattsburgh, New York claimed the Royal Savage as its property. Randy King, the mayor's spokesman at the time, said Reed didn't like that idea because Plattsburgh didn't have a facility where the boat could be properly stored.